Air-cooled condenser



F. LJUNGSTROM. AIR COOLED CONDENSER. APPLICATION FILED APR- I, I919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

"TO AIR PUMP Patented. Nov. M, 1922,

M A E T M A E T a {To AIR PUM v. .4 Z 5 W W P L P 6 m 1 y m w E l m F. LJUNGSTROM.

AIR COOLED CONDENSER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1. 1919. v 1,%35,612. Patented Nov. M, 1922.,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Nov. 14, 1922.

stares li s a FBEDRIK LJUNosTRoM, or .BBEVIK, swnnnn, Assrenoa'ro AKTIEBOLAGET LJUNG- STROMS ANGTURBIN, or. srocirnorti, swennn, a CORlPOR-ATION.

AIB-CDQLED Application filed April 1,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. FREDRIK LJUNosrRo'M, chief engineer, subject of the King of Sweden, residing at Brcvik, Lidingon, Sweden, have invented certain 116W and useful Improvements in Air-Cooled Condensers, of which the following is a specification.

In air cooled condensers composed of plurality of elements it has proved diiiicult to make use of an air pump to any advantage because of certain diiiiculties arising in the case of a leak occurring in any of the several elements.

This invention has for its object to prevent such difficulties by facilitating the work of the air pump in case of leakage as above mentioned.

In the accompanying drawing wherein an approved embodiment of the invention is illustrated Figure 1 is a plan view of a Well known structed according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a modification of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section on the line M of Fig. 3.

Figs. 5 and 6 are sections on the lines 5-5 and 6-6 respectively, in Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a type of condenser especially adapted for use in locomotives.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section on the line 99 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a transverse section of a condenser of somewhat modified form.

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of a header of the type used in the apparatus shown in Fig. 7

Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary plan View of the tube plate of one of the headers.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary section through the tube plate showing the water receiving grooves therein.

Referring to Fig. 1, 1 denotes the steam inlet of the condenser, the numerals 2 and 3 designate the headers and 4 designates the air cooled tubes and 5 the conduit leading to the air pump.

The air pump in this case draws the same quantity of air from all the tubes of the condenser. Should a leak occur in the con- CDNDENSEE.

1918. Serial No. 286,790.

' denser, for instance. in the tube a. the

vacuum in the condenser will be reduced proportionately to the quantity of air entering through the leak. In order to main tain the vacuum in the condenser the work of the air pump must, therefore, be increased and co-incident with said increase a quantity of steam corresponding to said quantity of air will be drawn out by the pump from all the other pipes.

This inconvenience is eliminated by the present invention by the provision of means whereby the quantity of steam is condensed or nearly so before reaching the air pump.

In the improved type of condenser shown in Fig. 2 the apparatus is divided into three sections. Should a leak occur, for instance, in the pipe a, the additional quantity of steam drawn by the air pump from the remaining tubes 4% during its increased work for maintaining the vacuum in spite of the leak, will be condensed in the following section 6 of the condenser. If the leak occurs in the section 6, for instance, of the tube 7), then additional quantities of steam will be condensed in the section 8. The pipes 4c, 6 and 8 constituting the several elements or sections of the condenser are connected with headers 2, 3, 7 and 9, the latter header having connection with the air pump by a pipe 5 and the header 2 having connection with a steam inlet pipe 1.

In carrying the invention into practice, all the tubes are preferably disposed within the same cooling range, the tubes, however, being divided into sections or groups connected in series.

Figs. 3 to 6 illustrate an embodiment of the invention as applied to a condenser in which the elements consist of fiat tubes situated at a short distance from each other, the

' steam passing through the tubes as in the apparatus shown in Fig. 2. In this embodiment of the invention the steam, which at first passes through the elements 10 from the headers 17 and 18 to the central air conduit 20, afterwards flows through the somewhat smaller section 12 (Figs. 3 and 5) disposed within section 10 .to the collecting pipe 19, after which any steam that might not have been condensed flows through the last section 11 (Figs. 3 and 6) which is disposed within section 12. The air pump is connected to the last section by means of thepipe 21. The whole of this combination -water through pipe 23.

works, in the case of a leak occurring, in the manner of the condenser hereinbefore de scribed and diagrammatically shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 shows two element-condensers connected to the same air pump, but otherwise operating separately. In both of the condensers the steam enters the headers 17 and 18 respectively, and in turn passes through the elements 10, 12 and 11 which are symmetrically alike, the same being shown in sectional detail in Figs. 8, and 9.

In each condenser, the steam upon passing through the element 10, enters the header 20 or 22 underneath the condenser, in.

which header the water of condensation is collected, and from which it is then removed through the pipe 23. From the headers 22! or 22 the remaining steam is sucked through the elements 12 to t .e header 2%, in which water is also collected, and from which it is then removed through pipe The still remaining steam passes through, the last element 11, and is drawn off in the form of This element connected by means of the pipes 26 and 27 to the same air pump as the last element 11 of the second condenser.

Fig. shows the condenser insection. In the present case the sections of the aircondenser proper 28 and of the header 2() are preferably shaped on the lines of circular arcs, and situated above the vessel 29, serving as collectors of the water of con- I densation. The said vessel 29 communicates with the headers by means of pipes 30, and it must be situated so far underneath the condenser that the pressure of the water column it in the pipes 30 is greater than the difference in pressure between the vessel 29 and the condenser.

The whole of the construction closely approximates the form of a circular sect The condenser proper preferably consists oi? a number 01": thin and narrow spaces with Walls of sheet-metal, ei other oi? these spaces containing cooling fluid (cooling air). and every other the steam to be condensedl In Fig. 11, the header 20 is shown in plan with the holes in the tube plate for the connections between the various elements and the header so arranged, that the holes 31 are adapted to receive the elements 10, the holes 32 being adapted to receive the elements 12.

Fig. 12 shows a detail of the tube plate oi the headers illustrating means to provide for a water packing around the tubes. The tube plate is provided with grooves 33 so as to lead the water along these grooves to each tube hole 34. Fig. 13 illustrates a.v detail 03'? such a hole in which the packing around the tube is effected by means of water. The hole 34 (Fig. 12), into which the tube 35 is inserted, is enlarged at the top as at 36 forming a pocket into which water flows from the groove 33. The tube will then be completely surrounded by water so that in case of the tube not being properly fired to the tube plate, water will be sucked in instead of air. The condenser or its constituent parts containing steam or condensed steam in the form oi water, a little .adi; l

tionai quantity of water from the outside by lee age will not have the same injurious effect on the working of the condenser as the leakingin of air into the same would have.

/Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An air cooled condenser composed of a plurality of sections connected in series, each section including a plurality of tubular elements decreasing. in number with each consecutive section, a steam inlet connected with the largest section 01 the condenser and an air pump in connection with the smaller section thereof.

2. An air cooled condenser composed oia plurality of sections, connected. in series and including a tubular elements decreasing in number with each consecutive section, headers arranged beneath the adjacent sections and connected with the tubular elements and positioned thcrebeneath so as to serve as a collector for both water and steam, a steam inlet connected to the header adjacent the largest section and an air pump in connection with the header adjacent tl e smallest section.

3. An air cooled condenser as claimedin claim 2 wherein a water receptacle is provided and situated under the header, pipes between the header and the water receptacle, said pipes being of such a length that the pressure of the water column in each pipe is greater than the difference in pressure be tween the water receptacle and condenser.

l. An air cooled condenser as claimed in claim 2 wherein a pipe is employed for connecting each element withv the adjacent heade 5. An air cooled condenser as claimed in claim 2 wherein a water packing is pro vided around the connection of each tubular element with the tube plate of the header.

In, testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDRIK LJUNGSTROM Witnesses T. H. BERGROTHE, Genre 

